All Block Food Frequency Questionnaires (“Block FFQs”), Block dietary screeners, and related dietary assessment instruments are the copyrighted property of Berkeley Analytics, Inc., doing business as NutritionQuest (“NutritionQuest”), located in Berkeley, California. This includes, without limitation:
(a) All versions of the Block adult FFQ, including the Block 2005, Block 2014, Block Brief 2000, and all prior versions;
(b) All versions of the Block Kids FFQ, including the Block Kids 2–7, Block Kids 8–17, and the Block Kids Food Screener;
(c) All study-specific modifications and adaptations of the above instruments, including instruments modified for individual research studies, translated versions, and instruments reformatted for specific data collection platforms; and
(d) All associated materials, including portion size photographs, scoring algorithms, nutrient databases, and data dictionaries developed by NutritionQuest.
NutritionQuest’s copyright in these instruments is established under federal law and has been maintained continuously since the instruments’ creation. Copyright notices appear on all instrument forms.
Researchers and institutions that have obtained a valid license from NutritionQuest are authorized to administer the licensed instruments to research participants, collect response data, and use the scored outputs (nutrient estimates, food group values, kilocalorie data, and other numerical results) provided by NutritionQuest’s analysis systems. Analyses that work exclusively with these numerical outputs, and that do not require reference to the copyrighted instrument content (such as the food item descriptions, food categories, or instrument structure), do not require additional authorization beyond the original instrument license.
Certain dietary scoring and classification systems require direct reference to the copyrighted content of NutritionQuest’s instruments, including but not limited to the food item descriptions, food item categories, portion size structures, frequency response scales, and overall instrument architecture. The creation of such scoring and classification systems constitutes the preparation of derivative works under 17 U.S.C. § 106(2), and the exclusive right to prepare or authorize the preparation of derivative works belongs to NutritionQuest as the copyright owner.
Accordingly, the following activities require the prior written authorization of NutritionQuest:
(a) The creation of crosswalks, classification tables, or scoring systems that map food items from any Block FFQ instrument to external classification schemes, including but not limited to NOVA ultra-processed food (UPF) classifications, food processing indices, or any other system that classifies, categorizes, or scores individual food items listed on the instrument;
(b) The development of new scoring algorithms or analytical products that require reference to the copyrighted food item descriptions, food categories, or instrument structure of any Block FFQ instrument, as distinguished from analyses that work solely with the numerical data outputs generated by NutritionQuest’s scoring systems;
(c) The reproduction, distribution, or publication of food item text, food item lists, or other copyrighted content from any Block FFQ instrument, whether in data dictionaries, supplementary materials, crosswalk documents, or any other format; and
(d) The reverse engineering, reconstruction, or independent replication of NutritionQuest’s proprietary scoring algorithms, nutrient databases, or portion size estimation models from paired input-output data or any other source.
NutritionQuest recognizes a clear distinction between (a) the copyrighted content of its instruments, which includes the food item descriptions, categories, portion size options, frequency scales, and overall instrument structure, and (b) the numerical data outputs generated by NutritionQuest’s scoring systems, which include nutrient estimates, food group values, kilocalorie data, and other quantitative results.
Analyses that work exclusively with numerical data outputs do not constitute the creation of derivative works from NutritionQuest’s copyrighted instruments.
Analyses that require reference to the copyrighted instrument content itself, such as classifying individual food items by processing level or creating crosswalks between food items and external classification systems, involve NutritionQuest’s copyrighted expression and require authorization as described in Section 3 above.
NutritionQuest offers dietary scoring services for all Block FFQ instruments, including Ultra-Processed Food (NOVA/UPF) classifications, Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scoring, Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Mediterranean diet scores, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Dietary Flavonoid Diversity Index (DFDI), glycemic index and glycemic load estimates, and other dietary quality indices. NutritionQuest’s scoring methodology draws on proprietary nutrient databases, NHANES food code mappings, portion size estimation models, and decades of instrument development expertise.
Researchers interested in obtaining dietary scores or classification products for Block FFQ data are encouraged to contact NutritionQuest directly.
NutritionQuest reserves all rights under applicable law with respect to its copyrighted instruments and any works derived from them, including the right to enforce its copyrights against unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or preparation of derivative works. Nothing on this page or elsewhere on the NutritionQuest website shall be construed as a waiver of any rights, and NutritionQuest does not grant any implied license by making its instruments available for licensed research use.
For inquiries regarding licensing, dietary scoring services, or the use of NutritionQuest’s copyrighted instruments, please contact us or call 510-704-8514.
Last Updated: March 18, 2026
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